Imaging doppler velocimeter with downward heterodyning in the optical domain

DWPI Title: Imaging Doppler velocimeter apparatus for measuring velocity of gear in micro-electro-mechanical system, has heterodyning unit which heterodynes Doppler-shifted optical beams scattered from target, and produces heterodyned optical beam
Abstract: In a Doppler velocimeter, the incoming Doppler-shifted beams are heterodyned to reduce their frequencies into the bandwidth of a digital camera. This permits the digital camera to produce at every sampling interval a complete two-dimensional array of pixel values. This sequence of pixel value arrays provides a velocity image of the target.
Use: Doppler velocimeter apparatus for measuring the velocity of gears and accelerometer reaction masses in microsystem such as micro-electro-mechanical system.
Advantage: By heterodyning the incoming Doppler-shifted beams, the frequencies of beams can be reduced into the bandwidth of a digital camera. The complete two-dimensional array of pixel values can be produced by the digital camera at every sampling interval. The sequence of pixel value arrays can provide the velocity image of the target.
Novelty: The apparatus has a heterodyning unit which receives and heterodynes Doppler-shifted optical beams (25) scattered from a target (17), and produces heterodyned optical beams at lower frequencies than the optical beams. A digital camera (20) is positioned relative to heterodyning unit to receive the heterodyned optical beams. The digital camera converts the heterodyned optical beams into corresponding sequences of digital values. A digital data processor (21) is coupled to digital camera for producing a velocity image in response to sequences of digital values associated with the target.
Filed: 11/8/2005
Application Number: US2005268943A
Tech ID: SD 7814.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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